When an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer collides with a passenger vehicle, the results are almost always catastrophic. With so much on the line, the trucking company and its insurer will move quickly to protect their interests by collecting evidence, gathering witness statements, and building a defense. To combat the trucking company’s narrative, you will need a rigorous response grounded in evidence and scientific principles.

An accident reconstruction expert is indispensable to proving fault in a trucking accident. These specialists gather and scrutinize every shred of evidence to create a comprehensive report that describes the crash and identifies who was at fault. In catastrophic injury cases where the stakes are high, the accident reconstruction expert report can mean the difference between a lowball settlement offer and the full measure of compensation you and your family deserve.

Key Takeaways

• An accident reconstruction expert analyzes evidence from a crash scene to determine the cause of the collision and identify who was at fault.
• Truck accidents are complex and often involve multiple defendants, all of whom may share responsibility for contributing to the crash.
• The accident reconstruction expert evaluates all contributing factors and prepares a detailed report describing how the accident happened and who caused it.
• An accident reconstruction expert report can shape the narrative of your case and become the foundation of settlement negotiations and courtroom presentations.

What Is Accident Reconstruction?

Accident reconstruction is the process of applying scientific principles to analyze an accident and provide an expert opinion on why the accident occurred and who was at fault. Forensic engineers, former law enforcement crash investigators, and biomechanical experts typically conduct this work using specialized tools and methods to analyze crash data and recreate the accident with computer simulation models.

The police report often serves as a starting point, but accident reconstruction goes deeper. An accident reconstruction expert will:

• Gather and analyze data from the accident scene, including detailed measurements, photographs, vehicle locations and damage, skid marks, weather and road conditions, and witness statements.
• Calculate vehicle speeds, braking distances, and impact forces and use specialized computer models to recreate the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
• Inspect the vehicles involved in the crash to analyze their mechanical condition, points of impact, and damage, and evaluate how these factors align with the descriptions of the events.
• Evaluate human factors, such as driver behavior and perception, reaction times, visibility, decision-making, and possible impairment to determine how these factors may have contributed to the accident.

Why Is Accident Reconstruction Used in Truck Accident Claims?

Trucking accidents often involve multiple defendants, all of whom could share liability. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations add an extra layer of complexity. The driver could have violated hours of service regulations, the trucking company could have pressured the driver to operate the truck beyond daily hours of service limits, a cargo loader could have improperly loaded the trailer, or the maintenance company may have overlooked a critical safety issue.

In addition, an expert is often required to evaluate black box data, which may include information from both the Event Data Recorder (EDR), which records vehicle information in the moments immediately before, during, and after the crash, and the Electronic Logging Device (ELD), which records information about the driver’s activities to establish compliance with federal duty status and hours of service requirements.

Using Accident Reconstruction to Prove Fault

The accident reconstruction expert will evaluate the data and use computer simulation models to recreate the accident. In addition to physical factors like speed and weather conditions, the expert will analyze factors like driver qualifications, training, and whether the driver was fatigued or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as vehicle maintenance records, compliance with federal trucking regulations, and cargo loading and weight distribution.

After evaluating the physical and human factors, the accident reconstruction expert will prepare a detailed report with conclusions about how the accident happened and what caused it. The report will address the primary cause, like following too closely or a brake failure, as well as contributing factors like road conditions, visibility, and vehicle maintenance. The report will also provide the expert’s opinion on who was at fault. When multiple parties share liability, the expert’s accident reconstruction report will often state the percentage of fault attributable to each party.

How Accident Reconstruction Can Help Win Your Case

Truck accidents are rarely straightforward. They often involve multiple defendants, each of whom will argue the accident was not their fault.

An accident reconstruction expert can provide an evidence-backed timeline of events and explain how multiple factors combined to cause the crash. The accident reconstruction expert’s report can help shape the litigation and become the basis for settlement negotiations and courtroom presentations.

Injured in a Trucking Accident? Robenalt Law Can Help.

The experienced truck accident attorney team at Robenalt Law works with accident reconstruction experts throughout Ohio and across the country to help people hurt in truck accidents get justice. We will gather information about your injuries, evaluate all of the potential causes of the crash, identify the responsible parties, and fight to hold them accountable for the harm they caused.

Contact Robenalt Law Today

Robenalt Law has offices in Cleveland and Columbus, and represents people who were seriously injured in trucking accidents throughout Ohio and nationwide. Call our Cleveland office at (216) 354-1911 or our Columbus office at (614) 321-8739 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation appointment to discuss your situation and how we can help.